Opt: An Illusionary Tale
"Opt: An Illusionary Tale" is Episode 6 in Season 9. It originally aired on September 23, 1991. Synopsis The episode begins with LeVar climbing a mountain in a snowstorm. To be honest, it was all an illusion. None of what was seen in that mountain climbing scene was real at all. LeVar explains to the viewers that your eyes can deceive you when you look at something sometimes. He shows them around the studio at the things that may have fooled their eyes. The rock he was climbing was a fake. It's one of the many special effects designed to fool one's eyes. The snow was all just piles of little pieces of plastic sifted through a special machine which was operated by a crank. And they used a wind machine or fan for the wind. Other parts of the scenery involved painting a wall with a certain color, taking a picture with a camera, and setting it up for the background scenery. The color of the wall in the studio doesn't change, but what you see on TV does. LeVar plays the rock climbing scene once again for the viewers to see. With the technology of television, you shouldn't always believe what you see. Another way your eyes can be fooled is optical illusions: things that make you believe you're seeing one thing when you're just looking at another. Optical illusions are fun to make as they are to look at. Some kids show the viewers some they made on their own. Some are easy to make, but others require scenes on walls to make you think you're looking outside. Paintings of ones are designed to make you believe it looks real. Those kinds are called trompe l'oeil, which is French for "trick the eye". The artist who makes them is named Christian Thee. To do so, you need to understand how the eyes work. He shows some examples of how it's done. With them, anything is possible. That's what he likes about his work. Like some artists, he starts with a plan of how his painting should look. Trompe l'oeil is a painting that seems realistic at first until you find out what you're actually seeing. LeVar tells the viewers that the title book has an art gallery where the pictures are more than what they seem. He shows some of them to the viewers. Optical illusions are found in television, books, and even in nature. Animals use them all the time. Ones who can blend in with their surroundings can stay hidden until they start to move. LeVar shows the viewers different ones who use this ability of disguise known as camouflage. This trick deceives predators from finding them instantly. In this world of visual trickery, you could find yourself seeing something twice. LeVar reinstates that your eyes don't deceive you most of the time, yet the world is a pretty reliable place. He reminds the viewers to keep their eyes open because you never know when an optical illusion can play a trick on you. Review Books *Hide and Seek *If at First You Do Not See *Lenses!: Take a Closer Look Category:Season 9 Category:Episodes